The tournament runs until November 7, with 24 national teams competing in its 10th edition. Morocco is hosting the competition for the second consecutive year.
The Mohammed VI Football Complex will host the group-stage matches, round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals. The third-place playoff and final will be played at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
Four matches are scheduled for Saturday, including the Atlas Lionesses’ opening game against New Zealand. Playing in front of their home crowd, Morocco will look to start strongly and improve their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
After losing both of their opening matches at the previous edition, the Moroccan team will be hoping for a better start this time. New Zealand, however, will be a challenging opponent after winning the 2025 OFC U-16 Women’s Championship.
The New Zealanders have struggled at the U-17 World Cup level, going nine consecutive matches without a win in the competition. They will be looking to recapture the form that took them to third place at the 2018 edition in Uruguay.
Germany face Argentina in Group A
Germany take on Argentina at 3 p.m. in the other Group A match. After missing the previous edition, the Germans return with hopes of winning their first world title in the category.
Argentina, meanwhile, will make its debut at the tournament after reaching the final of the 2026 South American U-17 Championship.
Defending champions North Korea begin their campaign
In Group B, two-time defending champions North Korea face Puerto Rico, also at 3 p.m. The North Koreans, who won the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup for a fifth time in May, will be aiming to become the first team to win three consecutive editions of the World Cup.
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For Puerto Rico, the match marks a historic first appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The day’s final fixtures will see Poland face Nigeria at 6 p.m. Poland return after missing the previous edition, while Nigeria arrive after winning all four of their matches in the African qualifiers.
Saturday, October 17 schedule (Morocco time)
- 3 p.m.: Germany vs. Argentina (Group A)
- 3 p.m.: North Korea vs. Puerto Rico (Group B)
- 6 p.m.: Poland vs. Nigeria (Group B)
- 6 p.m.: Morocco vs. New Zealand (Group A)
Where to watch the matches
All matches at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be available to watch free on FIFA+.
In Morocco, the matches will also air on Arryadia, the SNRT group’s third channel, on digital terrestrial television (DTT).
